Humans are addicted to accumulating junk. We know we are addicted to accumulating junk so we come up with other names for junk so we don’t feel as bad about accumulating it – decorations, knick-knacks and souveniers. Whatever we call it, we know it’s just junk and if 99% of it disappeared, burned up, or was stolen we would have a hard time remembering what most of it was.

Saving Time

The human race is obsessed with saving time as if it is doing things that are soooooooo important that getting more time to do it in is a real priority. I’d like to know what these important things are because to me, they are not too obvious.

Mom and pop shows are working relentlessly to drive their customers to the big box stores.

Here’s how:

1. By opening later in the morning and usually closing shortly after dinner time. Big box stores are usually open 16 or 24 hours a day.

2. By being closed on holidays or days when the weather is bad. Big box stores don’t close for holidays or bad weather and are open 7 days a week.

3. By having a small selection and high prices. Big box stores offer more selection at lower prices because they are open more hours of the day and can move a huge volume of merchandise. If a store is open for 7 or 8 hours a day 5 or 6 days a week they are making it difficult for potential customers to even check out their business.

Mom and pop shops claim they want customers to stay away from big box stores but it doesn’t really appear that mom and pop shops are even trying to compete. Mom and pop shops are still operating like it’s the 1950’s and they have no competition.

I completely understand the charm of a tiny shop owned by someone who has lived down the street his whole life and is doing business the same way he did when he opened the shop in 1952. It would be nice if that shop could stay in business but it’s highly unlikely that it will for very long.

If a store owner can not compete on a price and convenience level the shop will never survive.